This invention relates to animal feed stalls, and more particularly to a sow-operated feed stall.
Feed stalls for animals are well-known in the art. Moreover, feed stalls having gate mechanisms for controlling entry and egress of the animals to and from the stall, and for limiting the number of animals in a stall to a single feeding animal, are also known. Typical prior feeding stalls are shown in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.:
______________________________________ 579,484 Jarrett Mar. 23, 1897 1,443,203 Bell Jan. 23, 1923 3,415,227 Welsh Dec. 10, 1968 3,473,515 Atchinson, Sr. Oct. 21, 1969 3,543,723 VanGilst Dec. 1, 1970 3,785,346 Dower Jan. 15, 1974 4,129,096 Nickel Dec. 12, 1978 4,198,927 Guiavarc'h Apr. 22, 1980 ______________________________________
The above patents to Jarrett, Bell, Atchinson, Sr., VanGilst, and Guiavarc'h, disclose feed stalls having access doors which are automatically closed by a trigger mechanism actuated by the animal after the animal has entered the stall enclosure.
The patents to Jarrett, Atchinson, Sr., and VanGilst, disclose stalls having rear gates hinged about vertical axes and connected through linkage bars to one or more levers or actuating bars in front of the feed trough.
However, none of the above patents disclose an animal feed stall having pivotal access doors which are controlled by the movement of the lid on the feed trough, the lid being actuated by the animal.